Generally speaking, graphic media products present information visually to viewers. The graphic media products may comprise symbols, one dimensional (1D) and two dimensional (2D) data patterns such as barcodes and matrix code patterns, text, graphics, images, emblems, and other indicia (collectively, “indicia”), which may be marked on a blank media substrate by various printing systems (“printers”).
The clarity with which a printer marks the indicia on the medium is significant to the effectiveness with which the graphic media product presents the information and thus, to the intelligibility, legibility, and usefulness of the information to the viewers. To promote the clear marking of the indicia, various clarity criteria, expectations, specifications, and standards have emerged and/or been established.
For example, data patterns may be printed to comply with a programmed quality specification, and/or to quality standards promulgated by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and other authorities. Thus, 1D Universal Product Code (UPC) and 2D matrix data patterns may be specified to comply with quality specifications set forth in the ‘ANSI/UCC5’ standard.
Further, 1D International (or/also “European”) Article Number (EAN) and UPC/EAN linear barcode patterns may be specified to comply with quality specifications set forth in the ‘ISO/IEC 12516’ standard. PDF417 data code patterns pattern, which comprise four vertical bar symbols disposed over 17 horizontally disposed spacer symbols, may be specified to comply with the ISO/EC-15438 standard. Quick Response (QR), Han Xin, and other 2D data patterns may be specified to comply with quality specifications set forth in the ‘ISO/IEC 15415’ standard. Text may be printed to conform to any of a variety of specified fonts, styles, and/or optical character recognition (OCR) standards.
In addition to specific application to the appearance with which the indicia themselves are marked, the position at which the indicia are marked upon the media substrate may also be significant to the effectiveness with which the graphic media product presents the information and thus again, to the intelligibility, legibility, and usefulness of the information to the viewers. Some graphic media products may be used with applications in which the accuracy with which the indicia are marked on the media substrate may be especially significant.
For example, labels are typically applied onto containers and packaging used for dispensing medicines, such as narcotics, radiopharmaceuticals and other therapeutic or diagnostic drugs. As such, the labels may be applied for the purpose of providing important information to users of the item. The information may relate to the safe use of the items and/or precautions, “side-effects,” hazards, and/or dangers associated with using the item.
In such uses, the print quality specifications may comprise significant rigor with respect to strictures for heightened levels of accuracy in relation to a specified target position, and precision in relation to the uniformity with which the markings are applied repetitively to the specified target positions over a printing run of multiple labels or other print products. Printers are thus designed and configured to position the marking of the indicia onto the media substrate. For example, some printers may be configured for a ‘left justification’ of the markings, or for center tracking.
The media substrate may comprise a web of paper, plastic, or other materials upon which the indicia may be marked. The media substrate may comprise a stack of individual blank pages disposed in a tray, from which it may be drawn by a feed mechanism of the printer and fed into a marking mechanism thereof for the marking of the indicia thereon. The web may also, or alternatively, comprise a rolled configuration disposed upon a spool, or an accordion-like configuration disposed in a magazine.
The indicia may comprise a pattern formed by application of plurality of dots or other picture elements (pixels) of a marking agent, such as an ink or a thermally sensitive marking material, by the printing mechanism to the media substrate. The media width may be measured in relation to the total number of dots or other pixels along a horizontal line from one lateral edge of the media substrate to the opposite lateral edge thereof.
Printers may be left justifying or center tracking. Left justifying printers align the printing with reference to the left-most lateral edge of the media substrate. Center tracking printers align the marking of the indicia relative to a center position of the media substrate. The center position runs longitudinally in relation to the direction of feed and/or print, and parallel and equidistant to each of the opposite lateral edges of the media substrate.
With center tracking printers, users' knowledge of the correct width of the media substrate, and configuring a corresponding setting are significant to correct printing of media products conforming to quality standards and specifications, and the clear communication of information presented therewith. Errors relating to the correct width measurement and the corresponding setting configurations can lead to printing failures or faulty and/or ‘out-of-specification’ print products.
Such errors may relate to erroneous manual calculations or unit conversion performed by the users, the precision of the measurement devices or accuracy of estimates and the effects of measurement related deviation factors. The errors may also relate to the use of external tools, such as associated software and/or printer webpages, to configure the printer settings corresponding to the media width.
Moreover, the errors are associated with a single media measuring process cycle. A media width measurement cycle begins anew upon a subsequent change to a medium of a different width. Thus, errors relating to media width measurement and setting configuration may recur or deteriorate, with subsequent failures or faulty, out-of-specification print products.
It could be useful, therefore, to reduce reliance on users' knowledge and memory in configuring correct width settings for various media substrates. It could also be useful to configure the width settings with sufficient correctness for printing of media products in conformance to quality standards and specifications, and to promote the clear communication of information presented therewith. Further, it could be useful to reduce errors relating to the correct width measurement and the corresponding setting configurations, and related occurrence of printing failures or faulty and/or out-of-specification print products.